The first time I cut out meat, I bought a whole lot of foods that I had never eaten before. It was a little overwhelming and I ended up not eaten half of it. Starting simple is much easier and a lot more sustainable. You can start easily with the fruit and veggies you enjoy eating and then add on different things the more comfortable you get.
Beginners Guide to a Plant-based Diet : Food List
Seasonal Vegetables – if you are new to trying a plant-based diet, start with the vegetables you and your family eat but look for vegetables that are currently in season. Include leafy greens (spinach, swiss chard), bell peppers and broccoli.
Seasonal Fruits – again focus on the fruits your family eats and those that are in season. Good options include avocado, strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, apples and bananas.
Whole grains – these are things like quinoa, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta.
Nuts
Seeds – flaxseed, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds are good ones to start with.
Beans – chickpeas are my favourite but there are so many to chose from – red beans, broad beans, butter beans, good old baked beans (just check the sugar content if they have a sauce with them)
Lentils – these are great for winter stews curries.
Tofu – you can find it in your local Chinese Supermarket, Wellness Warehouse and Unwrapped
Coffee – look for an ethically made coffee – Terbodore is one of my favourites but both the Refillery and Unwrapped have great options
Herbal Tea – green, lavender, chamomile, or ginger
Plant-based milk – almond milk, soy milk or coconut milk are all great options.
Herbs
Spices
Olive Oil or Coconut Oil – we use both depending on what we want to cook.
Hummus – you could also make your own.
Soy sauce
Nutritional yeast
Lemon juice
Balsamic vinegar
To make it easier to make sure you get what you need I have created a shopping list for you to download.
If you do follow a plant-based diet, what else would you add?
8 Responses
I have done vegunary and vegan months before more to challenge myself to eat a wider variety of things, even though I am not a veggie/ vegan now. Some great staples to have on hand x
I tend to have an omnivorous diet but I do love fruit and veg. I am focusing on boosting the amount I eat daily. I’d like to try nutritional yeast.
This is a great list for beginners. We are increasingly enjoying a more plant-based lifestyle and I think it’s great that this is highlighted during Veganuary but actually it should be carried on beyond also.
I would like to switch to plant based diet. Thanks for sharing this guide, very helpful for me.
I was on a plant based diet for just over a year (years ago). I was so lost. So I know this is helpful!
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I eat somewhat plant based and this is a great list. You reminded me I need to stock up on my lentils and garbanzo beans!
This is so important because you definitely need to know about the plant based options that you have to eat. I am definitely going to use this list for when I try my plant based diet.
I would have to load up on a ton of fruit and broccoli. Those are my two go-tos when I’m craving something crunchy!